“Jamie’s great. She’s playing in the yard right now, and loving every minute.”
“Good. Beth, I know I’ve said it before, but I honestly had no idea what Evan was doing. It’s hard for me to wrap my head around the fact my brother tried to hurt your sister. But I didn’t know. I swear.”
“I believe you, Camilla. You aren’t your brother, and I’m trying really hard to get past what he did. That’s why we’re here in Texas. It’s a brand-new start for me and Jamie. There are too many memories in North Carolina. Bad memories. Sad memories. We’re happier here.”
There was a catching sound on the other end, like Camilla had drawn in a ragged breath. “I understand. I guess I thought—assumed—you’d be coming back. I miss you and Jamie. I miss our friendship. When you married Evan, I felt as if I gained a sister, and I’d hate it if that was gone. Please, Beth, don’t let what my brother did drive a wedge between us. The thought of never seeing you or Jamie again, it’s tearing me apart inside.”
“Camilla, I don’t blame you because your brother is a rotten—” Beth broke off before calling Evan a host of really nasty names. No matter how much she now despised the loathsome toad, she couldn’t take her ire out on Camilla. Evan was responsible for his actions, not his sister, and he’d get exactly what was coming to him. If she had her way, he’d spend the rest of his rotten life behind bars, with a very large roommate named Bubba.
“Don’t think you have to censure yourself because he’s my brother. You can’t possibly call him anything worse than I’ve already called him. Which is part of the reason I’m calling. I’m going to be in Texas. I’ve got some papers Evan needs to sign. I was hoping, maybe, I could stop by and see you and Jamie?”
Beth sat in stunned silence for a few seconds. If she was honest, she’d admit she missed seeing Camilla. After she married Evan, they’d grown closer, hanging out with each other, and spending girls’ days shopping, getting mani-pedis, and gossiping. They had grown close as friends, and Beth had looked at Camilla like a second sister. Even Tessa liked Camilla, often joining them on their girls’ spa days.
“I’d like that, Camilla. I know Jamie misses you.”
“Thank goodness! I was hoping you’d let me come and visit. I’m flying to Houston in two days, and renting a car. According to the internet, it’s only a couple of hours’ drive, barring bad traffic.”
“Definitely count on traffic being horrible in Houston, especially downtown. The roads in the big cities always seem to be under construction in Texas. Otherwise, the trip’s not too bad. Since you’re driving, it’ll take four, maybe four and a half hours, to get to Shiloh Springs. Want me to send you directions?”
“That’s okay, I made sure the car I reserved has a GPS, so I shouldn’t have any trouble finding you. I’ll call and get more specifics once I’m actually in your little town, though.”
“Sounds like a plan. You’ll stay with us while you’re here.”
Camilla started to protest and Beth cut her off. “No sense staying in a hotel when I’ve got two bedrooms here. That’s settled. Want to talk to Jamie before you go?”
“I’d love to.”
Beth stood and started down the porch steps when she spotted Jamie edging closer to the street. Instead of panicking, which was her first instinct, she called out, “Jamie, come here. There’s somebody who wants to talk to you.”
Jamie raced across the grass, her small sneakers making barely a sound as she ran. With the vigor of youth, she bounced on her heels in front of Beth, a huge grin on her face. “Somebody wants to talk to me, Mommy?”
Beth smiled indulgently. “They sure do, sweetie.” She handed her cell phone to her daughter.
“Hello?” She watched Jamie’s smile widen, her blue eyes sparkling with delight. “Aunt Milla! We moved into a new house today! It’s awesome. It used to belong to Aunt Tessa, but she’s getting marriged, I mean married, and I get to be a flower girl. She says I’m big enough. I get a special new party dress, and I get to throw flowers, and all the people will be looking at me because I’m important.”
Whatever Camilla said on the other end of the phone caused Jamie to squeal with laughter. Beth’s heart melted, watching her daughter smiling and laughing and playing, as if she didn’t have a care in the world, which was how it should be. It wasn’t fair her life would be forever tainted by her father’s actions, but for now she was sweet and innocent and naïve to the vagaries of the world, and Beth wanted to keep it that way for as long as she could.
“Mommy, Aunt Milla wants to say bye.” Jamie held out the phone, her tiny hand barely able to wrap around the sides. “Here.”
“Stay on the grass, Jamie.” Beth brought the phone to her ear. “She’s very excited about Tessa’s upcoming wedding.”
“I heard. Sounds like Tessa found the man of her dreams, and I couldn’t be happier. She deserves somebody to love her for the wonderful woman she is. Honestly, I never liked Trevor, and couldn’t understand why she dated him.”
Beth almost rolled her eyes at Camilla’s words. “Truthfully, neither can I. I never told her I didn’t like him. There was something about him I didn’t trust him. Turns out I should have believed in my instincts. He’s as bad as—”
Camilla sighed. “You can say it. He’s as bad as Evan. Over the last few months, I’ve come to realize my brother isn’t the man I believed him
